Book Review: The Couple Next Door
by Tracy Simpson, Pratt City Branch Library
The Couple Next Door
Shari Lapena
It started out with what was to be a night of celebration but soon became a kidnapping/murder investigation! Anne and Marco Conti are what appear to be the perfect loving couple, with Anne a stay-at-home mom taking care of their beautiful six-month-old baby girl Cora, and loving and dedicated husband Marco, working hard to support his perfect family. Or is it too perfect?
Anne and Marco are invited to a dinner party/birthday celebration with their next door neighbors, Cynthia and her husband Graham. With Cynthia not being fond of babies and making this a “no babies” gathering, Marco and Anne must decide what to do once their babysitter cancels at the last minute. With some persuasion Anne agrees with Marco that they will take the baby monitor with them leaving Cora asleep in her crib, and they will take turns checking on her every half hour. As the birthday celebration winds down around 1:00 a.m. and Anne becomes more uncomfortable with Cynthia’s flirtatious behavior towards Marco, the decision is made to return home. Walking up the steps they find the front door partly open, but Anne swears she remembers locking it on her last check on the baby. Anne runs to the nursery to find that baby Cora is gone!
The police are called and the emotional rollercoaster begins as Anne and Marco must reveal some painful truths about their not-so perfect family. Should the police focus on Anne, who is suffering from severe post-partum depression—could she have killed her baby girl? Could it be Marco who might have plotted a ransom scheme in order to get money from his wealthy in-laws to save his failing business? What do the neighbors, Cynthia and Graham, have to hide from the police? How well does Marco really know his in-laws and what are they capable of doing to get him out of Anne’s life?
This psychological thriller takes the reader through several twists and turns until the very end and makes you wonder what might be going on with the couple next door to you!
Shari Lapena
It started out with what was to be a night of celebration but soon became a kidnapping/murder investigation! Anne and Marco Conti are what appear to be the perfect loving couple, with Anne a stay-at-home mom taking care of their beautiful six-month-old baby girl Cora, and loving and dedicated husband Marco, working hard to support his perfect family. Or is it too perfect?
Anne and Marco are invited to a dinner party/birthday celebration with their next door neighbors, Cynthia and her husband Graham. With Cynthia not being fond of babies and making this a “no babies” gathering, Marco and Anne must decide what to do once their babysitter cancels at the last minute. With some persuasion Anne agrees with Marco that they will take the baby monitor with them leaving Cora asleep in her crib, and they will take turns checking on her every half hour. As the birthday celebration winds down around 1:00 a.m. and Anne becomes more uncomfortable with Cynthia’s flirtatious behavior towards Marco, the decision is made to return home. Walking up the steps they find the front door partly open, but Anne swears she remembers locking it on her last check on the baby. Anne runs to the nursery to find that baby Cora is gone!
The police are called and the emotional rollercoaster begins as Anne and Marco must reveal some painful truths about their not-so perfect family. Should the police focus on Anne, who is suffering from severe post-partum depression—could she have killed her baby girl? Could it be Marco who might have plotted a ransom scheme in order to get money from his wealthy in-laws to save his failing business? What do the neighbors, Cynthia and Graham, have to hide from the police? How well does Marco really know his in-laws and what are they capable of doing to get him out of Anne’s life?
This psychological thriller takes the reader through several twists and turns until the very end and makes you wonder what might be going on with the couple next door to you!
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